The anime Ga-Rei: Zero isn’t very well known over here, but it’s popular enough to nab two figma in Max Factory’s roster: Kagura Tsuchimiya and this, Yomi Isayama. While Kagura is the main character, Yomi is more an old friend turned bad. She’s done some pretty devious things, least of which killing Kagura’s father. Though it was Kagura who killed her, Yomi makes a return as an evil spirit, somehow even more powerful than before. Her tragic past and her softer, human side are both on show in this figure.
Dressed in a black school uniform, it’s a suitable contrast to Kagura’s white uniform, representing Yomi’s darker destiny. Her tall, graceful figure fills out the uniform’s simple design, with lines of white attempting to break up the overwhelming darkness that befits this figma. Even Yomi’s socks and shoes are black, as if the possession is utterly complete and irreversible. Finishing off the black theme is Yomi’s long hair, which looks nice with its square noodle ends. Her long, overshadowing fringe justifiably covers her brooding violet eyes, with those long bangs made of a soft, flexible material. There’s an extra part included to get the stand in behind this curtain of hair to the hole in her back.
There’s another head part for Yomi also, which has her hair pulled back into a ponytail. This is supposed to show Yomi in her dark, evil personality. I always knew ponytails were the devil’s handiwork! Tightly knotted, a thinly painted white line acts as a ribbon, while the splayed ends retain their squared look. This is all on a joint, and gives you much range as you’d hope for, making for some great poses when you’ve got the ponytail floating dramatically through the air.
Yomi’s sword ‘Shishio’ is included – a long, thin sword with a bright red handle, which is adorned with amazingly subtle indentations. A fancy white ‘tail’ hangs off the end, and definitely makes me worried that it’ll break off at any moment with such a small connection to the handle. Looks good though. A dark maroon scabbard is included to sheath Shishio, which it slides into snugly and securely – this thing ain’t coming out in a hurry. A white cloth is woven around the top of it, acting as where Yomi would carry it, and the tip has a gold accent, matching the hilt of the sword. Overall it’s a nice contrast to the black-dressed Yomi with a symbolic colour of all the blood she has shed.
There’s another, far more unconventional weapon at Yomi’s disposal, something she used against spirits before her death. And, well, it’s an iron. And it looks like its made from iron too with a heavy look with grades of silver paint on it. On it’s face are the words “DOUGLAS 28,” which I can only assume is its name. Since all irons need a name (cue sexist jokes). This is held by a permanently attached right hand. A long metal chain acting as a power cord connects into it, and I know it’s a power cord as the other end has an actual plug to insert into the anus wall socket. Another plug can be put into the backside (heh) of the iron too, replicating a normal plug, though it’s strange that it needs an extra cable to plug into. Still, it’s an overall unusual and well-made addition to Yomi’s arsenal. …Butt plug.
Four pairs of hands are included, with the usual fists, grasping hands, open hands with fingers spread, and a set of joint-less hands for use with Shishio so that there’s no lasting damage to the fragile wrist joints of the other hands. A left hand with a wide grasp to keep a hold of Yomi’s sheathed sword is also there. Lastly there’s a mobile phone set into a left hand. And guess what? It’s black. Kagura’s was a shiny red phone, so of course Yomi’s going to have a shiny black one.
There are three faces too, offering a good balance of her personality. The first is your usual smiling face, with Yomi smiling politely, her purple eyes looking to her right. The next face is Yomi scowling; teeth bared and definitely angry. Finally, we have Yomi’s best face, which has this dark, twisted humour to it. She’s smiling, but with an absolute sense of malevolence to it, like she’s got something much worse planned for us. Yomi includes a nice paper-craft punch-out for our di:stages, awash in shades of light pink, the Gai-Rei: Zero logo dominates the center of the base, while a flock of glowing blue butterflies flutter past across half of it. The usual figma logo, Yomi’s full name, and her associating series adorn the front.
Yomi has a solid range to work with when posing. Since there’s a clear two sides to her personality, it’s both easy and fun to change, with the different hair styles and faces. The domination of black is a bit off-putting since so much is symbolically lost in it. It’s almost saddening looking at Yomi’s smiling face, knowing that she will soon be lost in her evil, possessed afterlife state. The blatantly sexist iron is both a comical and interesting addition, and something truly unique to Yomi, since everyone owns a sword in Japan – Yomi owns both. Yomi possesses (pun unintended) a lot of potential as a figma, with her long, sturdy legs and a fantastic range of features, you’ll enjoy her both practically and mentally.
Originally posted 11-03-2011 here.
